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Shortly after the end of World War One, a small group of Veterans erected a plain, simple cross in the middle of the vast expanse of the Mojave Desert, far away from civilization to honor their fallen brethren.

The wooden cross erected in what was open land in 1934, sat silently in the desert, subjected to the weather, occasional vandals but maintained by those Veterans and later by friends of the Veterans.

The land was made part of a Federal Reserve in 1994 and due to deterioration of the original wooden cross, caretakers replaced it with a metal cross, somehow enraging a park ranger, Frank Buono who waited until he retired on a comfortable taxpayer paid pension, to seek the assistance of the ACLU to file a lawsuit to have it removed.

Both the State of Oregon and Washington have been experiencing budget gaps exceeding $1 Billion for the last few years. While we have remained mired in this ongoing “Great Recession,” both states continue to struggle with issues of decreasing revenues while also moving ahead on wasteful spending projects, addressing Public Union contracts and a growingly frustrated private sector depending on entitlements to survive, unable to find viable employment.

At such severe economic times as we have seen since 2008, one would think growing private sector jobs to rebuild lost revenues would be a paramount duty. But not so with both states under heavy control of the Democrat Party.

Oh, they pay a lot of lip service on job creation, usually mentioning “Green Energy” jobs that rely on revenues to remain in business or be created. But when push comes to shove and massive job growth stares them in the face, they turn away.

In today’s modern society, filled with time-consuming activity and daily distractions we all deserve a time out simply to enjoy ourselves, be entertained, escape from daily woes that face us all and if we can do that while helping someone in need, all that much better.

We live in increasingly partisan times. It seems more and more we are divided as we bicker among ourselves on issues of the day. Be it taxes, civil rights, infrastructure projects or any number of issues facing us, we remain divided and apparently unable to find a compatible middle ground.

But when it comes to supporting veterans, we are united. Even though our bickering extends into partisan rancor over sending them off into harm’s way, we remain united in appreciating their willingness to stand between us and our enemies, having learned decades ago that those that we send to war are not the designers of war and THEY deserve our support.

Unbelievable the gall of someone knowingly in the country illegally and expecting free benefits. How bold that they feel comfortable enough to produce a video ad of their expectations.

Our country is nearly $17 Trillion in debt, millions of citizens remain unemployed, U-6 Unemployment sitting at 14.3% and lawbreakers think they are entitled to freebies.

Not surprising, California, probably the single worse off state in the country, rapidly heading into bankruptcy, losing citizens and businesses daily is set to approve free healthcare for illegal aliens.

Tuition assistance for Veterans in California has been cut and unpaid medical bills just for illegal aliens in California has reached $1.25 billion per year, but California liberals, bleeding heart liberals are poised to give illegal aliens even more benefits.

Most of us know what the Medal of Honor is and why only a few receive it. Unfortunately, many receive it posthumously, having sacrificed their life to save others. Recipients still alive are few in number and like real heroes, wish to honor others who deserve recognition for heroics.

This blog was among many that posted last year of the Medal of Honor Society search for others in civilian life who have bravely risked their own lives to save or benefit others. Hundreds of heroes were recommended, but only a few selected as semi-finalists and now, four have been selected to receive the Citizen Service Before Self Honor from the Medal of Honor Society.

Amongst finalist is 15 year-old Marcos Ugarte of Troutdale, Oregon who risked his own life to rescue a smaller boy from the second floor of a burning home last year.

Monday, March 11, 2013: A facebook comment by Rep. Liz Pike said HB 1588 has been tabled, unable to attain the needed votes for it to pass.

As always happens after a tragic shooting, our Second Amendment right to bear arms for our own self defense comes under fire by misguided, shortsighted people who think no one should have a gun except Police and the Military.

We have successfully retained that right so far, but the anti-gun people have grown in strength and have learned to wrap their message in a manner to make it appear helpful instead of infringing on our rights.

Washington State is facing such a move with HB 1588: “AN ACT Relating to requiring universal background checks for firearms transfers.” An innocent enough sounding bill title, but a precedence setting law that would actually will do nothing to curtail criminals obtaining illegal guns.

As a Vietnam Veteran I, along with millions of other Veterans receive healthcare through the Veterans Hospital system. I have received very good care in both the Vancouver, Washington Campus of the Portland Veterans Hospital and at the Portland Veterans Hospital itself. But it seems not everybody has been as fortunate as I have been.

One Veteran, medically discharged from the U.S. Navy has alleged he is the victim of a staff member assigned to care for him while he was an inpatient at the Vancouver Campus. To say the least, this particular staff member has quite a peculiar background that leaves me questioning just how he was able to gain employment at the Veterans Hospital.

An inquiry submitted to Public Affairs Officer, Dan Herrigstad has not yet been responded to. But the history of this staff member, Patrick Henry is well documented as he was the subject of both a book titled Deadly Intentions and two subsequent made for TV movies on his conviction for attempted murder of his ex-wife in Tucson, Arizona in 1979 that led to his being stripped of his license to practice medicine as a Doctor and another on his “itching to exact revenge on those who put him away while at the same time working hard on destroying the sanity of his second wife.”

UPDATE: Orcutt has apologized for making the comment to the cyclist, but doesn’t retract the claim made.

It’s not often that I applaud a legislator for a tax increase, but when I see one throwing blatant hypocrisy back in the faces of those who deserve it, I have to give them credit for doing so.

Washington State 20th Legislative District Representative Ed Orcutt, a Republican has done just that and has the ardent bicyclers up in arms as Washington State Democrats are proposing a slew of tax and fee increases for an ambitious transportation bill.

Their measure also includes a $25 tax to be charged on bicycles costing over $500 along with a 10 cent per gallon increase in the gas tax, an increase in excise tax on car licenses, a hike in the hazardous substance tax and new county auditor fees for car license tabs and title transfers.

While many bicyclists aren’t all that much opposed to the increases, they are becoming very outspoken in opposition to a tax on their preferred mode of transportation, bicycles.

The middle class in Washington State was struck a cruel blow yesterday when the State Supreme Court ruled against citizens and sided with Democrats and Education Union Groups in finding unconstitutional citizen initiatives requiring the state legislature to reach a 2/3 supermajority vote in order to raise our taxes.

Most telling is just who the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, filed shortly after voters for the 4th time approved the requirement of a 2/3 supermajority in I-1053 in 2010.

Jim Moeller was quoted in the pages of the Columbian saying, “The constitutional legality of the supermajority has gone unresolved for many years, and I’m really pleased that the court has finally settled the issue.”